Hydrometer



HYDROMETER Original Filed Jan. 5, 1921 Patented July l1., 1930 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES E. LINEBARGEB., 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOISHYDROMETER This invention relates to improvements in hydremeters,including hydrometric units, and suitable apparatus to be used with suchunits in making hydrometric determinations.

This application is a division of my copending application Ser. No.435,067, filed J anuary 5, 1921, and reference may be had to thatapplication for such details as are not material to the presentapplication.

While any suitable hydrometric units may be used in carrying out myinvention, I prefer for the purpose such units as I have described in myPatent No. 1,393,883, issued Uetober 11, 1921.

I have also described in my Patent No. 1,424,730, issued August 1, 1922,one way of using these hydrometric units in order to indicate thedensity of a liquid, the units in such a case being confined in ahydrometric vessel into which has been forced a certain amount of theliquid to be tested, such as the electrolyte of a storage battery. Inthe hydrometric vessel are one or more units preferably several units,of slightly varyino density; so that at a glance substantially t e eXact density of the liquid is indicated. For instance, if one of theunits is substantially the same as the desired density of the liquid, ase'cond unit slightly less dense, and a third unit slightly less densethan the second, it is obvious that when the second and third unitsfloat, and the first one is substantially suspeuded, that the liquid isat substantially the desired density; but if the .first unit sinks thedensity of the liquid will be slightly below the desired density. If thesecond unit sinks the density will be lower, and if the lthird unitsinks the density will be still lower, A further characteristic of theunits used in the same hydrometrie Vessel is that they are readilydistinguished from each other by color or size, or otherwise. This,however, is not altogcther essential as the position of the units in theliquid itself is ordinarily a sutlicient indication.

My present invention, so far as the use of the units is concerned.dilers from that set forth in said application, in that the units areconfined in a perforated vessel which I call a cage, and the cage ispermanently lo- 435,067. Divided and this application led May 18, No.718,647.

cated in the battery which is to be tested'so that it always containsSome of the liquid to be tested. The cage may be made of any substancewhich is not injuriously affected by the liquid, and of any shape,provided only that it is open sufficiently to allow the liquid to betested to freely pass in and out and not suciently to allow the units toescape.

Of the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a view of a hydrometric deviceembodying the features of my invention and shown as `used in indicatingthe density of a liquid in a cell; Fig. 2 is an enlarged View of thehydrometer device; and Fig. 3 is a modified form of the device. y

Any suitable cage may be used, but I prefer the cage illustrated in Fig.1 which consists of a coil of wire 5 flattened more or less so as totake u as little space as may be, and with the en s closed more or lessby the portions 6 and i' of the wire, and having a supporting portion 8passing upwardly from the cage and arranged to be fastened in ansuitable manner to the cell 9 so as to hol the cage permanently I preferto use a` hook 10 hooked over the edge of the cell. A modified form ofthe cage which may be used is illustrated in Fig. 3, comprising aCelluloid casing 11 having perforatiors 12, or otherwise o ensufficiently to allow the li uid to pass geely through; and othermodideations of the cage will be apparent to those skilled in the art.Preferably the cage is suspended entirely beneath the surface of theelectrolyte in the container, so that the units are always entirelysubmerged. This prevents air bubbles forming on the surfaces of theunits and affecting their buoyancies.

When the units are restrained in the cage permanent-ly in one locationand are in such a position as to be readily seen' through the glass ofthe cell, or by removing the cover thereof, or in any other suitableway, it is necessary for the observer' merely to glance at the cage inorder to determine sufficiently the density of the liquid for ordinarypurposes. By inserting in each of the cells of the battery one of thesehydrometer cages, with suitable hydrometric units contained in itslocation. For this purpose i therein, the observer can quickly glance atall of the cells of the battery and determine Whether or not the densitycondition of the electrolyte in each cell is proper, and take such stepsas may be necessary. As many units as may be desired may be used, andthey may be of any desired colors, shapes, or densities, dueconsideration being had to the density of the liquid to be indicated.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination of a transparent liquid container, and a densityindicator, said indicator comprising a perforated receptacle, means forsupporting the receptacle in said container, and a hydronletric unit,restrained in said receptacle, the surface of said unit being materiallysofter than the inner surfaces of the receptacle.

2. The combination of a transparent liquid container, and a densityindicator, said indicator comprising a perforated receptacle, aplurality of hydrometric units positioned/entirely in said receptacle,and means fixed to said receptacle for suspending the receptacle on theWall of the container, the density of said units being unlike, thematerial/of which the units are composed being softer than the materialof which the receptacle is composed.

In testimony whereof', I hereunto set my hand.

CHARLES E. LINEBARGER.

